Femineer Club
McPherson Magnet School's STEM Lab
History of the CPP CoE Femineer Program
The Femineer Program was created and funded by Cal Poly Pomona's College of Engineering in 2013 to inspire and empower females to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors and careers. The 3-year program consists of curriculum in Creative Robotics, Wearable Technology, and Pi Robotics. McPherson is proud to be one of 40 participating schools with a Femineer cohort in SoCal. The program provides hands-on activities that allow students to think creatively and to work collaboratively.
Engineers in Training
McPherson's first Femineer cohort attended the Femineer Summit recently at Cal Poly Pomona to present their finished projects. Starting in January, girls met weekly after school and used the Design Process to construct and program a Creative Robotics project using recycled materials, Hummingbird Duo controllers, and Scratch programming. Mrs. Andrade and Mrs. Hoffmann are proud to nurture their inquisitive minds.
Femineer Summit
McPherson's future engineers were inspired by a female STEM panel who shared personal stories about what and who encouraged them to enter engineering. Our day also included a tour of Cal Poly's Farm Store, and then an impromptu visit to the bookstore. After lunch, we presented our projects to Cal Poly faculty, industry partners, and guests.
Cat in a Box
Eryn, Cece, Sydney, and Alex programmed a Cat in A Box. Their program included LED lights in the cat's eyes and ear, and rotary motion of its its tail and paw, but the best part was its sound--of course it MEOWED!
The Spinning Bee
Danna, Natalee, Emma, and Jennifer constructed a garden scene that included a bee, a hive, and a bush. The bee rotated, and the bush and hive both moved back and forth. The LED lights showed the trail of the bee.
The Banana Cat
Vivian, Erin, Lan Tho, and Majedah programmed a Banana Cat, yes a Banana Cat. The movement involved the flickering of a flame, and clouds floating. LED's illuminated its eyes and the flower.
Hogwarts Crest
Avery, Kiana, Samantha, and Olivia designed the Hogwarts Crest. They programmed the animals in the crest to move: the raven and the snake moved back and forth, the lion and the badger rotated. Also, LED lights flashed for each house.
Welcome Ms. Welborne
STEM Panel member Tara Welborne has been with Northrop Grumman for 9 years, and is a Mission Assurance Manager. We enjoyed the opportunity to meet her and spend a few moments together sharing our projects.
McPherson Magnet School
Email: jerven@orangeusd.org
Website: mcphersonhome.meteormail.net
Location: 333 South Prospect Street, Orange, CA, USA
Phone: (714) 997-6384
Twitter: @McPhersonMagnet